Juice in a bagImage by Jessie Reeder
Plaza in Cochabamba, Bolivia. People drinking juice out of plastic bags is a common thing in this part of the world.

Blueberry Papaya Cucumber Juice and Chocolate Cake with Ganache 04of4Image by Food Thinkers
Blueberry juice feels rather decadent when you consider how many of the tiny fruits are required to produce just a glass or two of juice. Luckily, blueberry pulp is very easy to use. It becomes almost invisible when combined with chocolate or cocoa powder in baked goods, where it lends moisture and can even replace some of the oil or butter in your recipe.

1. Process blueberries and cucumber in your juicer and reserve the pulp in one bag.
2. Juice papaya and reserve its pulp separately.
3. Add the sweet lime or orange juice to the mixture, stir, and enjoy.
Serves 3.

The above juice left me with about 4 ounces (½ cup) of cucumber-blueberry pulp and ¾ cup of papaya pulp. Using slightly more or less pulp in your recipe probably will not affect your finished product all that much.

Here I adapted my standard vegan chocolate cake recipe, with the pulp serving as a substitute for a large portion of the oil. As I mentioned above, the pulp in the batter is virtually undetectable and the cake came out incredibly moist and tender.

1. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and dust with cocoa powder. Line bottoms of the pans with parchment paper and grease the parchment as well.
2. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) with a rack in the middle.
3. Sift flours, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the blueberry-cucumber pulp, vegetable oil, chilled tea, and vanilla.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and combine with a rubber spatula. Add the vinegar and mix in with as few strokes as possible (it’s okay if there are streaks in the batter).
6. Pour batter into the prepared pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, testing doneness with a wooden toothpick.
7. Let cakes cool in their pans for 5 to 10 minutes before running a knife around the edge of each pan and unmolding to cool completely.

While cakes are cooling, put the papaya pulp and a tablespoon or two or orange juice into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add a tablespoon of sugar and stir as the mixture simmers gently for about 5 minutes. Cook until you have a thick, spreadable paste. Cool.

Filling Instructions

When the cake has cooled you may want to even out the surface of your first layer by slicing off the dome to create a flat, even round. Spread the papaya filling over the bottom cake layer and top with second cake.

1. Heat the soy milk in a small saucepan until it begins to boil. Remove from heat and immediately add the chocolate.
2. Stir until all the chocolate has melted, then stir in maple syrup until the mixture is completely smooth.
3. Let cool slightly before pouring over the cake. Top your cake with the toasted coconut, and chill in fridge to set the ganache.

This cake keeps beautifully for 3 to 4 days at room temperature when wrapped in plastic or stored inside a cake dome.